‘Jeopardy Masters’ 2025: Matchups, Schedule, Players, and More

The syndicated version of Jeopardy! has delivered multi-day champions since it came back after tournament runs, but now it’s time for another tournament to take over game show fans’ lives – and it’s a biggie. Jeopardy! Masters will be the next tournament to take over TV screens. The new season is quickly approaching, so read on for everything you need to know about the tournament.

Jeopardy! Masters takes the highest ranked current champions and puts them together in one competition to see who can become the ultimate champion.

When and where does Jeopardy! Masters air?

Jeopardy! Masters is returning for its third season on Wednesday, April 30, at 9/8c on ABC. The episodes will be one hour long and consist of two games per episode. The competition will then air Wednesday nights for nine weeks. The game show will also stream the next day on Hulu. Regular Jeopardy! will also air at its normal time before Masters.

Who will be competing in this year’s tournament?

This year’s competition is filled with fan-favorites and past tournament winners, including reigning champion Victoria Groce, returning finalist Yogesh Raut, 2025 Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions winner Neilesh Vinjamuri, TOC finalists Adriana Harmeyer and Isaac Hirsch, 2025 Jeopardy! Invitational Tournament champion Matt Amodio, and JIT finalists Roger Craig and Juveria Zaheer, and one of the biggest Jeopardy! winners of all-time Brad Rutter, who hasn’t been on the Alex Trebek stage since 2020.

However, fan-favorite James Holzhauer will not be competing. He won the 2023 tournament against Mattea Roach and Amodio. This makes this tournament the largest Masters to date. Usually, only six players compete, but this time it is nine. Jeopardy! executive producers Sarah Whitcomb-Foss and Michael Davies explained in an Inside Jeopardy! podcast episode that Holzhauer was invited to Masters, but turned down the invitation.

Groce, Raut, and Rutter will face off against each other in game one of the tournament on April 30. Amodio, Craig, and Zaheer will then compete in game teo. This means Vinjamuri, Hirsch, and Harmeyer should be competing in game three on May 7.

Who will host Jeopardy Masters?

Ken Jennings will be back to host the competition. He also hosts the syndicated versions of the game show, as well as the other tournaments.

How does Jeopardy! Masters work?

There will be four rounds: Knockouts (each player plays twice); bottom three players are eliminated, the Quarterfinals (each player plays three times); the bottom two players are eliminated, Semifinals (each remaining player (four) plays three times); the bottom player is eliminated, and then they play the Final. The Finals consists of three contestants playing two games. Each round will be three episodes, each with the semis being two episodes. The Finals is a two-game, total-point affair.

Jeopardy! Masters is formatted just like regular Jeopardy!, except there are hour-long episodes containing two games with nine of the game show’s highest-ranked current champions. They will compete across a series of league-style games that follow the standard Jeopardy! structure: Jeopardy!, Double Jeopardy, and Final Jeopardy.

Until the finals, players will be awarded “match points” based on their performance in each game. The winner gets three points, second place gets one point, and third place receives zero points. Any contestant who does not make it to Final Jeopardy! will automatically receive zero “match points” for that game. Usually a contestant doesn’t compete in Final Jeopardy, if they have a negative balance going into it.

Up until the finals, eliminations and prizing are determined by cumulative “match points,” with the finals being determined by traditional dollar value scores— a two-game “total point affair” as in other Jeopardy! tournament finals.

If a tie happens, the winner is determined by how many games they have won. If that still results in a tie, then Jeopardy! takes the cumulative correct responses for that round. If the tie continues, the cumulative score, excluding Final Jeopardy and Daily Double wagers, is looked at.

What does the Jeopardy Masters winner get?

The winner of Masters takes home $500,000, the Trebek Trophy, the title of Masters Champion, and a $100,000 donation to a charity in their honor. The seventh through ninth place competitors get $15,000 each. Sixth place gets $50,000, fifth place gets $75,00, fourth place gets $100,000, third place gets $150,000, and second place wins $250,000.

What happens if there is a tie?

With match points being given, players are bound to end up in a tie. if that happens, a few things have to be taken into account. According to the Jeopardy! website, the following criteria is used:

• Number of games won. If there is still a tie…
• Cumulative correct responses for that stage of the competition (including Final Jeopardy!). If there is still a tie…
• Cumulative score (excluding Final Jeopardy! & Daily Double wagers). If there is still a tie…
• Cumulative score (excluding Final Jeopardy!)

Jeopardy! Masters, Wednesday, starting April 30, ABC, next day on Hulu